Alonso follows 'Pampas Bull' as Red Bull-beater

Alonso follows 'Pampas Bull' as Red Bull-beater

Spanish matador Fernando Alonso followed in the footsteps of a veteran Argentine red 'Bull' on Sunday to beat the modern-day Red Bulls and give Ferrari a longed-for 60th anniversary present.

Showing once again that Formula One can still deliver the most improbable of storylines, the Spaniard rolled back the ages with a Silverstone victory that was perfect in its symmetry.

The fairy tale started before the race when the double world champion took the historic red Ferrari 375F1 of 'Pampas Bull' Jose Froilan Gonzalez around the same circuit where the Italian glamour team celebrated their first championship grand prix win with the Argentine in July, 1951.

It ended when Alonso took the chequered flag 16.5 seconds ahead of Red Bull's world champion Sebastian Vettel, with the German's Australian team mate Mark Webber in third place.

It was Ferrari's 216th from 821 races

Ferrari are the only team to have competed in every championship since the first in 1950 and their achievement in remaining at the top for decade after decade as the most successful team is remarkable.

Sunday's win was the team's 216th from 821 races.

They have failed to win at least one race a season only 11 times in that period and their last completely barren season was in 1993.

Red Bull's dominance had raised the spectre of that happening again but Alonso's achievement allowed the men from Maranello to breathe more easily.

Only four races ago, in Barcelona, Alonso had been lapped by Vettel.

The change in the engine regulations since the previous race in Valencia may have played a part, with Ferrari seemingly far less affected than Red Bull and McLaren, but so too did months of hard work playing catch-up.

"I feel very proud of them (the team), of this recovery, always fighting to win races," said Alonso, who is now third overall but 92 points behind Vettel with 10 races remaining.

Image: Ferrari's Formula One team poses in their pit garage after driver Fernando Alonso of Spain (C) won the British F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone